Worry
by Satsuki Takahashi
Summary: After u's has reunited and continued striving for joining Love Live! Nozomi notices that Eri seems to be more tired than ever. The school won't be shut down anymore… but council work only kept on piling up? Slight AU.


Worry

Toujou Nozomi x Ayase Eri

A/N: After u's has reunited and continued striving for joining Love Live! Nozomi notices that Eri seems to be more tired than ever. The school won't be shut down anymore… but council work only kept on piling up? Slight AU

Toujou Nozomi looked up to her right side then frowned. Ayase Eri continued signing club papers, then paused for a moment to rub her temple, and then continued again. Nozomi opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She didn't know how to bring up the topic nor resolve it.

Even the cards couldn't tell her anything.

"Ericch—"

"Eri-chan!" Honoka burst into the room with her phone in her hand. "Look! We're ranking higher!" Eri smiled at her and nodded. Nozomi could only smile. "I can't wait for today's rehearsal!"

"Calm down, it's still morning. I'll see you after class."

"Un! Bye Eri-chan! Bye Nozomi-chan!"

Eri waved at Honoka, and so did Nozomi. Once the door closed, the blonde female sighed, troubled blue eyes stared at stack of papers. Nozomi frowned in helplessness.

With that, the day ended in a breeze. Rehearsals went fine, and after school was a time most students awaited. Most Muse members prepared to go home and rest for the day, resuming the practice tomorrow.

"I'll go back to the student council room. I forgot something." Eri excused herself and grabbed her bag. "Nozomi, you can go ahead if you have to do shrine maiden work today." She smiled and then disappeared through the door.

Although this was a normal scenario for the overbearing and responsible council president, Nozomi knew it was different.

It started two months ago, the day of the announcement.

"_A decision has been made. The school will be closed after all the currently enrolled students graduate due to a relatively low number of pre-enrollees for the next school year. That would be all. The student council's activities should be decided on by the President,"_ the Chairwoman announced inside the Student Council room an hour ago before the daily meeting started. Work for the student council room had started and not one of its members spoke a word.

Then a long sigh came from the secretary.

"Is something wrong?" Eri asked.

"Is it really still worth doing all this paperwork?" The female with glasses with the 'secretary' arm band answered, dropping her pen onto the table. "I mean, the school is closing down. We just have to graduate and the school is out of our hair."

"That's true," the PR officer pitched in. "If we're not getting any new enrollees, then there's no point doing all these papers for them. The decision is final, isn't it?"

"The decision is not final," Eri answered sternly. "That's why we must do these papers."

"It's our last school festival in a month. Come on, Pres, we should enjoy it as much as we can," another member said. "Let's focus on college applications too. We're third years."

"We need these papers for the next election—"

"There won't be one, would there? The school is closing. Soon the council won't have any use. We'll just be decoration for as long as it stands. What? Are you even actually thinking that you can revive the school? What? Is it because your grandmother and your mother graduated from it? Come on, something so old won't live that long." The secretary went on a tirade then sighed.

"_That's too much,"_ Nozomi thought. She opened her mouth to talk, but Eri had beaten her to it.

"If you don't want to continue the activities, you may leave the room," Eri said sternly, her eyes fixed on the paper right in front of her. "The moment you leave this room, the student council work you've done for the past years will be unaccredited to your transcript."

"Just that?"

"Don't need that shit."

"Ahh, finally freedom."

Soon enough, the student council room had been deserted. Leaving only Ayase Eri and Toujou Nozomi to fend for all the paperwork that was left, Eri's grip on her pen grew tighter, her hand turning white.

"Well…? Aren't you going for your freedom too?" Eri spoke through her teeth. Nozomi was her friend, someone who helped her when she had just transferred into the school as a first year. Someone who helped her get the hang of things because she was a foreigner.

"Ericchi, you wound me," Nozomi spoke in a comforting manner. "I won't leave you for something such as this. Rely on me, ne?"

"Nozomi…"

Toujou Nozomi stood outside the student council room, measuring what kind of approach she should do. She stepped away from the door and settled her back on the wall beside it. She quickly fished a card from her bag, smiled upon getting "The Star" and placed it back.

She knocked on the door and heard a short 'come in' then quietly slipped in. Eri typed furiously on her laptop, stacks of paper on their side of it. She looked okay for the most part, but Nozomi knew that she was tired, and that something was eating her up from inside.

She slowly placed both of her hands over Eri's eyes and softly pulled her face up, the back of her head resting on Nozomi's stomach.

"H- Hey. Nozomi?" The Miko answered in affirmation. "What are you do—"

"Imagine you're in front of a roughly flowing river that you must cross. You're an athlete who could swim to save yourself and survive the current of the river, but hanging onto a near-breaking branch in the river, on both sides of you, are two beings. Near the ledge of the waterfalls is a wanted murderer, and on the farther side is a child with her dog on her shoulders. Who are you going to save first?" Nozomi removed one hand from Eri's eyes, keeping the other covering it. She slipped the free one around Eri's neck, and rested her jaw on top of Eri's head.

"I—"

"You can't explain yourself. Just choose one."

"Th- This is torture. I can't—" Eri flailed. She lifted a hand up to hold onto Nozomi's wrist that was on her eyes. "They're both lives, if I could for both—"

"But you could only swim across to survive for yourself," Nozomi answered. The moment Eri's grip on her wrist had tightened, she knew she had conveyed her message. "You have to think of yourself too, Ericchi." Eri nodded.

Nozomi removed her hand from Eri's eyes, and then wrapped both of her arms around her shoulders, resting her head near Eri's. It's not that Eri was losing sight of what was important. She always held them near her heart. Although viewed as stoic and strict, a soft heart was beneath all the defensive walls. She may have looked okay, but she wasn't. Eri was glad Honoka had accepted her into u's as well as the other members despite all of her criticism towards the group. But before that, there was Nozomi who had always stayed by her side.

"I'm sorry." Eri spoke through the comfortable silence. Nozomi nodded on her shoulders and then smiled. Eri turned to look at her only to find a pair of lips on her own. The mischievous Miko grinned at her slyly as her face blushed red that stood out under her blonde locks.

Eri blushed harder as Nozomi looked at her in confusion. Blue eyes slightly looked up into confused green ones, and then slowly looked away.

"Can you stay?"

"Overnight? Sure." Nozomi grinned.

"I- I didn't—" Eri turned to look at her then blushed even harder if that was possible.

"I know. Of course I will."

Eri then looked away again. "Idon'tmindovernighteitherthough…"

Nozomi smiled at her and then nodded.

(Worry/END)

A/N: That was a pain in the ass to write.

Omake: Overnight, it's been a while.

"I'm home." Eri opened the door to her house. Footsteps of her younger sister were immediately heard. "Arisa, welcome home."

"I'm home. Oneechan, welcome home." Arisa looked behind Eri then smiled. "Nozomi Oneechan!" She threw herself towards the violet haired female and hugged her. "Are you staying tonight?"

"Yup." Nozomi nodded and walked inside the house.

"Should I prepare the extra futon in Oneechan's room?"

"N—" Then a hand was quickly on Nozomi's mouth.

"I- I'll do it, thanks, Arisa."

Ayase Arisa, confused, only looked at them then shrugged. Nozomi grinned at Eri, who only walked away.

It would be an interesting evening for the Ayase Household.

(END)

Omake 2: When the sun is shining.

Blonde locks swayed with movement, a finger flicked the light switch downwards, turning the lights off. With only the illumination of the moon shining directly onto the bed, revealed long violet hair on the bed in a sitting up position. Nozomi patted the space on the bed beside her, as Eri blushed and took the place.

"Nozomi... thank you." Eri looked away, her free hand slowly taking Nozomi's under the sheets. "For everything."

"What? Are you gonna leave me?" Nozomi asked with a smirk, squeezing her hand, and making relaxing circles on the palm of the hand.

"O- Of course not. It's that I- I- I think I'm lost, without you. So, thank you, too. For staying." Eri looked down at her lap then slightly peered to her side to look at Nozomi.

"You're so cuuuteeeeeeeeeee~" Nozomi then pounced on her, tackling her onto the bed. She patted her head and kissed her on the forehead. She then let Eri's head rest on the apex of her breasts, then stroked her hair.

"N- Nozomi..."

But Nozomi only kept on stroking her hair, then thanked the sun for the shine of the moon.

_"Otsukaresama deshita, Ericchi."_

A/N: Otsukaresama deshita, literally means "Thank you for all of your hard work."

(TRUE END)


End file.
